The Kiss
by boogityboo
Summary: Phil and Keely have to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet. The catch: a kiss in front of the entire class.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! Got a new story for you. I thought of this one sort of while I was writing my last one. Don't know where it will wind up, but for now the gang's in 12th grade, um, doing some Shakespeare… Little bit of "friendly" kissing in the works. A lot of pheely awkwardness, of course. Hope you enjoy. PS. this is not related to my other stories.

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The Kiss 

Chapter 1

"Quick and Painless"

Phil Diffy walked through the front doors of H.G. Wells Jr./Sr. High School. Keely was waiting for him on a bench inside. When she saw Phil, she smiled sweetly and his heart melted. Again. For the millionth time. Like a scoop of ice cream.

_How does she do it?_ Phil wondered. He smiled back at her and walked over to where she sat. Keely cocked her head to the side, grinning up at him.

"Hey, mister," she said.

"Hey, Keels," Phil said. He felt a bit awkward. _I really need to _not_ feel like this,_ he thought, looking at Keely. _It's just not right to feel like this about her. She's practically like a sister._ "You ready for the big scene?" Phil was referring to the scene he and Keely had prepared for their theater test. Instead of a normal written test, Mr. Messerschmitt paired everyone up and had the couples draw scenes from Shakespeare plays out of a hat. Phil and Keely were working together on a part from _Hamlet,_ when Hamlet talks to the ghost-version of his murdered father, the king. Keely was portraying the ghost, while Phil got to be Prince Hamlet.

"Yeah, I guess," Keely said. "But I wish we'd gotten a better play. I really hate being a guy," Phil nodded in agreement. "But I can't wait to see Via and Owen's _Romeo and Juliet_."

Phil laughed. "No kidding," he said. Via had been hiding her crush on Owen for the better part of a year, but when she pulled a scene from Shakespeare's most romantic play out of the hat, she'd nearly lost all control. The scene required a kiss. On stage in front of everyone. "Not exactly how I pictured telling Owen I like him," Via had said to Phil and Keely the day the scene assignments had been made. The two had practiced the dialogue every day after school, but had been skipping the kiss, despite objections from Owen. "We'll just do it spontaneously, Owen," Via kept insisting.

"I mean, Phil, I'd die if I had to kiss someone in front of the entire class," Keely said. "Can you imagine?"

"Uh, no, I uh, guess not," Phil said. But in truth, he could _definitely_ imagine kissing a certain someone in front of the class. _Hell, _he thought, _I'd kiss her in front of my parents. In front of the world. _"If only…"

"If only what?" Keely said, looking at Phil.

"Huh? I said that out loud?" Phil asked.

"Uh, yeah, Phil," Keely said.

"Um, you know, if only I could remember all my lines, I, um, think we'd get an A on this scene thing," Phil said, desperately trying to cover up his real thoughts. _If only I had to guts to tell her… I think I'm in love with her._

The theater class met in the school auditorium, and as Phil and Keely wandered in, a little bit late, all the other students turned and stared. Some even giggled.

"Um, Keels, why's everyone staring at us?" Phil asked with a nervous laugh. He grabbed Keely's elbow. She loved it when he did that.

"Beats me. I was gonna ask you the same thing," Keely said. "I just hope we don't have to go first."

"Well, Mr. Diffy, Miss Teslow, I'm positively _elated _that you have decided to join us this morning," Mr. Messerschmitt, who was standing center stage, said to them as they sat down in the front row. The other students kept staring and snickering. Keely saw Owen and Via a few seats down. Via was pale and looking at her feet. She glanced up quickly and with a panicky expression mouthed "I'm sorry" to Keely, who was understandably confused. Owen, in typical fashion, was giggling along with the rest of the class.

"Sorry we're late," Phil said, standing and motioning to Mr. Messerschmitt, apparently having missed out on the exchange between Keely and Via.

"I daresay you _will_ be sorry, Mr. Diffy. Something has—ahem—come up, and seeing as you and Miss Teslow are the last pair in class today, you have won the Grand Prize," Mr. Messerschmitt said, twisting the end of his mustache with two fingers.

Keely perked up and smiled. "Grand Prize?" she asked.

Phil, on the other hand, knew that if it was one of Messerschmitt's Grand Prizes, then there was absolutely _nothing_ grand about it at all. Phil was certain he and Keely were in for it. Whatever it was. "Yes, sir, um, what's the Grand Prize?" Phil asked.

"Oh Mr. Diffy, your friend over here, Via, has brought with her this morning a note from her doctor that states, and I quote, 'due to an outbreak of mononucleosis my patient cannot, under any circumstances, participate in any school project that involves kissing.'" Mr. Messerschmitt then took a deep breath. "You may be wondering, Mr. Diffy, how Via's illness has caused you and Miss Teslow to be today's Grand Prize recipients?"

"Um, yeah. Yes, sir," Phil mumbled. He was beginning to sweat. He glanced over at Keely. She gave him a worried expression that mirrored his own.

"Via, our Juliet, cannot kiss Owen, our Romeo, because of her 'disease' as it were, thus you and Miss Teslow have been nominated, by me, to replace those two actors," Messerschmitt said, pausing and glaring at Phil, waiting for a response.

"We have to be Romeo and Juliet instead of Owen and Via because Via's got mono?" Phil asked. "That's it?"

"That's it. Owen and Via will take over your roles as the Ghost and Hamlet. I will give you three days to prepare your scene, and I will expect it on Thursday. Complete"—Messerschmitt cleared his throat loudly—"With The Kiss."

Phil gulped. He glanced down at Keely. Keely was slumped down so low in her chair the top of her head was level with the armrests. "Um, can I ask one quick question?" Phil asked.

"Go ahead, Mr. Diffy," Mr. Messerschmitt said, again twisting his mustache.

"Why us?" Phil asked.

"Why _you_?" Messerschmitt mocked. Phil nodded. "_You_ were tardy."

"Oh," said Phil, "Right." He sat back down. He looked at Keely. "Um, Keels… sorry about this…" he whispered to her. Keely just stared at him motionless, face blazing. Phil's heart erupted. He was already nervous. The class giggled. Messerschmitt clapped his hands to bring them all to attention and the first group climbed on the stage to perform _Sopranos_-style version of _Macbeth._ Phil couldn't focus on the play. He could only focus on the fact that in three days time he was going to be up on that stage kissing Keely Teslow. In front of everyone.

* * *

"I'm _so_ sorry, guys," Via said to Phil and Keely in the hallway after theater. Phil and Keely were having trouble looking at one another. "When I told Messerschmitt I was sick I had no idea he'd take _us_ out of _Romeo and Juliet_. I thought he'd just take _the kiss _out… And when he said the last two people to the class would take the parts and I looked around and realized _you two_ were the only ones missing…" 

"It's okay, Via," Phil said. "We know it wasn't on purpose. I'm really sorry you're sick and everything. That sucks." He glanced at Keely and smiled a sort of half smile. "You know, it won't be so bad, Keels."

"It won't be so bad? Phil, are you serious?" Keely said, stopping in the middle of the crowded hallway and facing Phil. "I can't _kiss_ you. We're friends. You're my friend boy. I'm your friend girl. Guy pal, gal pal. That's all."

Via was beginning to feel awkward. She didn't want to get in this middle of this weird unrequited-love spat between her two best friends. Via, Owen, the entire world, practically, knew how Phil and Keely felt about each other. But Via hated being in the middle of it all and had abandoned all hope of matchmaking after a plot that involved locking the two up in a janitor's closet had backfired last fall during their junior year, sending Owen to the emergency room because he _accidentally_ poured bleach down his pants. _You can lead a horse to water,_ she thought, _but you can't make it drink… _"Um, guys, I'm just gonna go," she said before scooting away from Phil and Keely as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Phil watched Via run away. "Keels, I mean, it's a school project. There's nothing we can do about it." He said and tried to smile. "It won't be so bad. I won't bite. Promise." But the look Keely was giving him was disconcerting. He had thought that maybe, just maybe, Keely might be interested in him as something more than a friend. But now she was acting so put-off by the idea of kissing him that he didn't think that was even a remote possibility. "What, Keely? Do I totally disgust you or something?" Phil said. He was a little hurt that she was taking it this way.

"No, Phil, of course not… it's just…" she started. She looked away. "I mean, _people,_ you know, might _think_…"

"What? That we're a couple?" Phil asked, sputtering. "You don't want people to think we're a couple? Is that what this is about?"

"That's it. Exactly," Keely said, crossing her arms. "No, Phil Diffy, I _don't_ want people to think we're a couple. Kissing you would be"—Keely glanced around the hallway trying to think of the right word—"insane. Just totally insane." Phil couldn't tell if Keely was angry or… _Is she_ _embarrassed_? he wondered. It almost looked as though she was about to cry. Her cheeks had reddened and her eyes were bright and wet. To Phil, she looked incredible, even if she was mad at him. It was worse, in fact, when Keely got mad. Anger brought out something in her face that alarmed Phil, not because he was afraid of her being angry with him, but because this passion inside her bubbled up to the surface and made her beautiful and made him want her more. These were the moments that were so frustrating for Phil. He wanted to yell back at her but he also wanted to kiss her like crazy. _Face it, Phil. When Keely's mad it's a huge turn on. _But, of course he had to play it off. _You don't want to look like the idiot you really are._

"Well I don't _want_ to do it either, Keely," Phil said. It broke his heart to say it because it was a lie. "But the fact of the matter is that it doesn't make any difference what we _want._ We have no choice. So, unless you get sick like Via, I'm kissing you. On Thursday morning. Get over it."

Keely looked at Phil. A little vein popped out on his temple and she had the urge to kiss him there, on that tender part of his face, to grab his arms and wrap them around her waist, but she didn't, of course. _Just friends. _"Whatever, Phil. I guess I don't see how you can be so cool with this… I mean, it's just… we…" She didn't know how to say what she was thinking. _We have been sort of skirting the issue of _us,_ Phil. Don't you get it?_

"We _what,_ Keels?" Phil asked. He tried to look annoyed. Keely's face softened. She was gorgeous no matter what emotion. A thought flashed into Phil's mind. This always happened. A little daydream of Keely jumping on him, kissing him all over, unbuckling his belt… _Stop it, Phil. God you're a perv, _he told himself.

"I mean," Keely said quietly, her eyes lingering on Phil's for a moment before they both looked at opposite ends of the hall. "We're really close, Phil, you know?" Keely had her own set of flashes of Phil. Phil with his shirt off smiling at her, beckoning her up the stairs to his bedroom. She pinched shut her eyes and tried to block it out.

"Yeah," Phil said, still trying to act as though he didn't care.

"And, well, kissing you might… feel"—_awesome,_ she thought—"weird," Keely said, opening her eyes and staring at someone's discarded, flattened Red Bull can on the floor.

Phil took a deep breath and put his hands on Keely's shoulders. God, he loved her and he hated how he couldn't say anything. It was torture. She looked at him now, her forehead wrinkled in worry, biting her lip. She was so sweet. So sincere. Phil caved in and he smiled. "It'll be okay, Keels," Phil said. "We'll just make it quick and painless. Totally friendly. Not weird. Just a couple of friends. A little tiny kiss. I've heard I'm pretty good at it, actually."

_That's what I'm afraid of,_ Keely thought. She smiled. "Okay, okay. You're right. Quick and painless. Itty-bitty. Won't even feel it," she said. But she knew she would. They both knew.

"Okay, well, um, maybe we should get together this afternoon and look at the lines?" Phil offered.

"Yeah," Keely agreed, nodding. "I'll get the pages from Via. Want to go to your house?"

"Well, everyone will be there… Curtis, Pim, Mom, Dad…" Phil said. "We're not exactly ready for an audience yet, are we?"

"Right. Um, well, my mom gets home from work around five, so that gives us a little time alone," Keely said. "So, my house? Right after school?"

"Sounds like a plan, Juliet," Phil said. He looked at his watch and rolled his eyes. "Great. Late for calculus. Again. I wonder who Hackett will make me kiss in there."

Keely giggled a little too flirtily. _He called me Juliet. Do I call him Romeo? Um…_ she thought. "Yeah, see you at lunch… Romeo." She gulped and waved awkwardly. Phil laughed and turned to walk to his next class. Keely watched him go. Just before he walked through the classroom door, Phil glanced back at her and winked. Keely's heart raced. "Oh my God," she said, leaning against a row of lockers. "What have I gotten myself into?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hi Everybody. THANKS for your awesome reviews. Really. I think this one's pretty cute, myself. Definitely a throw-back to my first stories. I don't know how many of you have read _Romeo and Juliet,_ but the scene Phil and Keely are practicing is when Romeo and Juliet meet at the party at the Capulets' house in the very beginning. In the Leonardo Dicaprio movie version, they keep hiding in an elevator during this scene to kiss and stuff. Anyway, hope you all like this.

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Chapter 2

"Kissing by the Book"

"Phil, I don't even know what all this stuff means," Keel said, staring at the Xeroxed copy of the scene she and Phil had to memorize. She collapsed back into the pillows on her bed. Phil sat across the room in Keely's desk chair. They had come to Keely's house right after school to get in a little practice before Mrs. Teslow got home from work.

"We read this play in ninth grade, Keels, remember?" Phil reminded Keely.

"Um, can you say Cliff's Notes?" Keely said.

"Right. Cliff's Notes," Phil rolled his eyes. "Well, can you remember what happened when Romeo first sees Juliet at the party?"

"Um, it was sort of a love-at-first-sight type deal, right?" Keely asked.

"Yeah," Phil said. "So basically, in this scene, he's trying to kiss her and she's being all coy, but I think she actually likes it…" Phil said.

"So she's flirting with him," Keely said.

"More or less," Phil said. "She's playing hard to get, and he's relentless."

"Okay… so… um, how should we set this up?" Keel asked.

Phil stood and walked to the bed. He held out his hand to Keely. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "I was thinking that since they're at a party, we could set it in a present day high school dance or something."

"Oh, and when Romeo says 'If I profane with my unworthiest hand,' then maybe it could mean how he touches her when they dance!" Keely said, her eyes lighting up.

"Now you're thinking," Phil said. "So, um, maybe…" Phil put his hands lightly on Keely's waist. "Something like this?" Phil had never really been so close to Keely. He pulled her body into his. Their faces were only inches apart. _This feels… really… good,_ Phil thought. _Too bad it's fake._ Keely stiffened. "Just relax, Keel…" Phil whispered.

"But, I, um, I mean Juliet, probably would be kind of nervous, right?" she asked. She could only concentrate on the gentle pressure Phil placed on her lower back. She prayed that her breath was good. _He smells amazing_. _Are we actually going to do the kissing part? _she wondered. Phil smiled at her drowsily. His eyes looked sleepy. Keely didn't know what to do with her hands, so she let them fall softly around Phil's shoulders. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand," Phil said, "_This_ holy shrine, the gentle fine is this…" When Phil said 'This holy shrine' he pulled Keely in even closer, their bellies smashed together, legs, chests. Keely took in a sharp breath, her eyes growing wide. _He's only acting,_ she reminded herself. _Only acting._

"Phil—" she said quietly.

"My lips," Phil smiled and licked his lips, staring into Keely's eyes. Keely stared back. _I can't believe this is happening,_ she thought. "Two blushing pilgrims, ready stand"—Phil took a deep breath—"To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." _Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God,_ Keely thought. She shut her eyes.

"What do I do?" Keely asked. He voice was sort of panicky.

"Keels. Relax," Phil whispered into her ear. "Improvise. What would Juliet do?"

"Um, she'd…" Keely floundered and opened her eyes and looked at Phil. "Um. I don't know."

"Well, what would you do?" Phil asked. "What would _Keely_ do?"

"Say the line again," Keely said.

"My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand," Phil recited again. "To smooth that rough touch with a tender _kiss_." This time Phil swallowed hard, shut his eyes, and made a move to kiss Keely. He could practically hear the blood rushing through his ears. He felt weak and powerful at once. He squeezed Keely tightly, as if for dear life. Moving his hands up her back, his finger caught the hem of her t-shirt, and he felt her soft, warm exposed skin. He bumped his nose against hers and turned his head slightly and just when he thought lip contact was about to happen, Keely put a finger between their mouths. Phil opened his eyes and saw Keely smiling.

Phil sighed loudly. "That's exactly what Juliet would do," he said and rolled his eyes. "What a tease." His racing heart screeched to a stop. _I almost did it. Acting or not, that felt real._ _I think that _was_ real,_ he thought. _Was it?_ He looked at Keely suspiciously.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much," Keely said, grinning sneakily. She reached around her back and took one of Phil's hands, releasing herself from his grasp. "Which mannerly devotion shows in this." Keely grabbed Phil's other hand, and they stood facing each other, holding hands. Phil couldn't stop smiling at Keely. He was enjoying himself. He felt playful suddenly, like a little kid. He tried to lean in and kiss Keely again, but this time she turned her face and he kissed her cheek, just above her jaw. He groaned. "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch," Keely continued. "And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Keely gazed into Phil's eyes. They were close enough that Phil could watch her eyes flit back and forth, almost as if she were studying his own.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Phil asked. He placed a hand on Keely's face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. He saw Keely blush, which thrilled him.

Keely pulled his hand off of her face. "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Keely turned her back to Phil. Phil put his hands together and looked up at the ceiling, as if he were praying. Then he grabbed Keely's shoulders and spun her back around.

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." Phil bent down on one knee and pretended to beg Keely. She laughed and touched his head, gently tousling his hair.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Keely said. Phil stood up again and took her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. Keely tried to look away, but something about Phil's gaze prevented her from it.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." After Phil spoke these lines, neither of them said or did anything. They just kept staring at each other.

"Um, so—" Phil said. "Is this, you know, where the real kiss goes?"

"I don't know, Phil," Keely said. "You seem to understand all this stuff. What did the lines mean?"

"It means that he kisses her," Phil said.

"Um, okay…" Keely said. "We were doing pretty well, there—"

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged," Phil said his lines again. He took a breath then cupped Keely's face in his hands and leaned in and kissed her lips lightly, barely brushing them with his own. It was the softest sensation Keely had ever experienced, like a feather had fallen on her lips, and it felt so completely natural and _real _that Keely suddenly forgot where she was and what they were doing—_acting_. For a moment, she felt dizzy, and she grabbed Phil's wrists with her hands and opened her eyes and looked at him. Phil seemed scared. Vulnerable. Nervous. _Did he just feel what I did?_ Keely wondered. _He had to. Come on. Phil? Did you feel that?_

"Keels?" Phil asked after a minute.

Keely looked at Phil. How long had she spaced out like that? "Hey," she said, still sort of dazed. She dropped her hands from Phil's wrists.

"You okay?" Phil asked.

"Me?" Keely said, pointing at herself. "I'm great, Phillip. Never better." She shook her head around to snap herself out if whatever trance that kiss had put her under. _It was only a little peck, Keely. Get a grip. It didn't mean anything. Come on don't be a total freak_. _Calm down._ Keely thought.

"Okay, then Keels, you have a line," Phil reminded her. Keely turned and picked up the script.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took," Keely said with a confused expression. "Whatever _that _means."

Phil smiled at her. Keely smiled back and rolled her eyes. "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again," he said.

"Wait—" Keely said. "We have to do it _again_? Messerschmitt didn't say anything about doing it _twice_, Phil."

"It says 'again', Keely. Pucker up, buttercup," Phil said. And before Keely had a chance to respond, Phil grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her again. Keely shut her eyes in anticipation, but Phil didn't kiss her. He watched her face. Just watching her this close made him smile. Her nose twitched. She rubbed her lips together. Then she opened one eye.

"What are you doing, weirdo?" she asked him. Phil felt her warm breath on his face.

"Thinking," he said. He blinked. He touched the tip of her nose with the tip of his.

"Thinking?" she said. She looked into his eyes. "About?"

"What to do next. I mean, Romeo was a kid, you know. I don't think he'd be so bold… In fact, I think Juliet probably kissed him, anyway. Romeo tells her to give him his sin again…" Phil said.

"Come on Phil, let's just get it over with. My mom will be home soon," Keely said.

"You get it over with," Phil said, grinning. "I'm waiting."

"Oh God, Phil," Keely said. "Come on."

"What?" Phil was enjoying this. "Now you know what a guy feels like."

"Huh?" Keely said.

"We're the ones who have to initiate all the kissing. It's pretty stressful. So now you, Miss Juliet, can see for yourself. It's agony. Really, it is," Phil said.

"Fine," Keely said. And with her eyes wide open, she kissed Phil hard on the mouth. His lips were slightly parted, as if he was about to say something, and she was afraid maybe she'd accidentally touched his teeth with her tongue. _I can't believe I did that_, she thought.

_I can't believe she did that,_ Phil thought. "You kiss by the book," he said. He wore a stunned expression. He couldn't believe how much emotion was packed into that kiss. It was almost desperate, it was so hard and fast. _I think I felt her tongue on my lips._ He really liked it and he _really_ wanted her to do it again. A ripple of goosebumps washed over Phil's arms.

"That's my line, genius," Keely said. Phil let her go. She sat down on her bed. "See, that proves that Romeo is supposed to kiss Juliet. Not the other way around." _I'm a terrible kisser. It was too hard. Too fast. Too sloppy. Too frustrating. What is my problem? _Phil sat down next to her.

"Hey Keel?" Phil asked after they sat in silence for a couple long minutes. "Are we cool?"

"What do you mean?" Keely asked, staring at the carpet.

"Well, I mean, this kissing stuff?" Phil said. "I mean, it wasn't _that_ bad, huh?" He leaned into her arm and gave her a playful shove.

Keely felt really awkward. She twisted her fingers together. "No," she said. "I, um, haven't exactly kissed anyone since you came here… I'm a little out of practice, I guess."

Phil looked at her from the side. He wanted nothing more than to make things official with Keely. But they were so inexperienced in these matters and had become such close friends that it was a difficult transition. And now they were being forced to kiss each other. On a stage. In front of people. This was no way to get a relationship up and rolling, was it? He couldn't enjoy the kisses when they weren't just for him, when they were required. When they were being _graded_ on them, for crying out loud. "I never thought our first kiss would be like this," Phil said. As soon as he said it he couldn't believe he had. He held his breath. Maybe Keely hadn't heard him. _Maybe, please, God, please…_

Keely didn't move. _Did he just say what I think he said?_ she thought. She didn't know how to respond. So she didn't. But, timing is everything, the saying goes, and at that exact moment, Keely's mother shouted from the living room that she was home from work. _Thank God._ Keely looked at Phil. "Don't worry about it, Phil. Really," she whispered. He turned his head and smiled at her. Keely wasn't sure what she meant exactly, but it was a vague enough response to his statement about their first kiss. This kissing today didn't count, she was certain of that. They were just acting. For a school assignment, of all things. She could have just as easily been paired up with another boy. Thank God she hadn't been. It was hard enough kissing her best friend boy who she was secretly in love with. The thought of having to kiss someone she didn't even know was hardly a better deal. _All these feeling are just… in the way_, she thought. _We like each other, right? We do. Then what in the hell are we doing?_ She wanted to shout it out loud.

"Hi Keely, sweetheart. How was school!" Keely's mother said from the doorway, breaking the tension and silence that had enveloped the room. Phil had an urge to move away from Keely. He sort of leaned away from her on the bed.

"Hi mom, school sucked as usual. Phil's here. We were practicing this play thing for theater class," Keely said. She was really tired all of a sudden. Her brain had been working overtime. "Phil's just leaving. Right Phil?" She glanced at Phil. He looked startled.

"Um, I guess?" he said. It sounded like a question.

Keely grabbed his hand and led him out of her room and past her mother into the kitchen. Keely needed to be alone. To think about all this. She had kissed her best friend today. Twice. And it was confusing, to say the least. "I'm sorry, Phil…" she said. "I just…" she looked up at him for something. She didn't now what. Some sign that told her he understood. There was a glimmer in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings by ushering him out like this. She was just overwhelmed.

"Um, okay…" he mumbled. "You're sure? I mean, Keels, I'm… I'm sorry." He looked at the floor.

"It's not you, Phil…" Keely said. "Sometimes I just feel weird and I need to think and kind of be alone. You know what I mean?"

"I think I do Keel," Phil said. He smiled. But it was like an "It's okay" smile. Not an "I'm really happy and excited" smile. Keely liked that. She gave him one back and punched him softly on the shoulder. "So, walk you to school tomorrow?" Phil asked.

"Yeah. I'll see you in the morning, mister," Keely said. They were good. That's why she was in love with Phil Diffy. He just got her. He got her better than any person ever had. "Bye."

"Bye," Phil said. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the kitchen, onto the back porch, and down the steps. _What just happened?_ he thought. _The more I'm with her, the more confused I feel._ _But the more I'm with her, the more I fall for her._ He didn't know how he was going to get through the next few days. It was some kind of cruel joke, kissing Keely for a theater assignment. _Can my life get any worse?_ he thought. Then there was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. It can always get worse. By the time Phil got to his house, he was completely drenched. And cold. And shivering.


	3. Chapter 3

by now you have probably all given up on my and my story... i am SO SORRY. but the last few weeks have been complete chaos in my life. summer ended, school started, plus i was in a wedding in florida and without my computer... but i know you don't want excuses. i promise to keep up like a champ now that i'm back into my school routine. for a few days i was sort of "off" of potf for some reason. it happens. then i get right back into it... who knows why. anyway, here's chapter 3. i PROMISE i'll do better. if i could only get the damn line thing to work...

linelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

The Kiss

Chapter 3

"Two Conversations"

"Phil is that you?" Phil's mother sang out to him as he sloshed through the front door, his mind completely scrambled by the recent events involving Keely.

"Yep. It's me," Phil said, sighing. He stood just inside the doorway not sure how to proceed since he was wet. Barb walked in.

"Is it raining, Phil?" Barb said, looking at her son whose soaking hair was plastered to his forehead.

"What gave it away?" Phil said, a little more sarcastically than he'd planned. His mother gave him a stern look. "Sorry, Mom, been a long day."

"Well, let's get you dry and then you can tell me all about it," Barb said. She aimed her Wizard at Phil and warm air blew all around him, drying his clothes instantly and leaving his hair sticking up all over the place. "We've got the house to ourselves. Your dad took Pim to the DMV for her learner's permit."

"You're kidding, right?" Phil asked, collapsing onto the Diffys' couch and covering his face with a pillow. He loved that couch. Furniture in 2121 just wasn't as… _cushy_. "Pim? Driving? That's just what the world needs."

"Can I get you something to drink, sweetie?" Barb called from the kitchen. "How about some hot chocolate?"

"That sounds awesome, Mom. Thanks," Phil said from underneath the pillow.

Barb brought in a steaming mug of hot chocolate and sat opposite Phil. "So, what made today so miserable?" she asked, smiling.

Phil sat up and took a sip of the hot chocolate. As he set it back on the coffee table he took a deep breath launched into his story. "Well, Mom, where should I start? You're positive Pim and Dad are gone, right?" Barb nodded. "Because I just _really_ don't want Pim to hear me talking about this, but I have _got_ to tell someone." Phil stopped talking and looked at his mother.

"Phil, you're okay, right? Keely's okay? Everyone's okay?" Barb's eyes widened. She looked worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Keely's… well, she's fine, too," Phil said. "But she's the reason I'm miserable."

"Oh?" Barb said. She was grinning.

"Remember the Shakespeare scenes we have to do for Messerschmitt's theater class?" Barb nodded. "Well, we had _Hamlet_ at first, but then Via got mono so she and Owen couldn't do their scene so we switched, and now Keely and I have _Romeo and Juliet_," Phil said.

"Well, that's nice and romantic, Phil," Barb said, still smiling.

"Tell me about it. But here's the kicker: Keely and I have to _kiss_ twice during the scene," Phil said. He blushed, fell back into the cushions, and stared up at the ceiling. "Messerschmitt's _making_ us do it. That's what I've been doing. Kissing _Keely_ all afternoon." Despite the rain that had poured all over him, Phil could still taste Keely's bubblegum lipgloss from that second incredible kiss. Tasting it made his body ache. He groaned accidentally, replaying the kiss in his mind. Barb noticed. It was agony being so close to what you wanted—getting it even—but still being so far away.

"And that made you _miserable_?" Barb asked. She cleared her throat. "I sort of suspected you had some special feelings for Keely, if you don't mind me saying so, Phil."

"Mom…" Phil rolled his eyes. "She's my _best friend._ I mean, maybe I do like her more in a not-just-a-best-friend way, sort of, I don't know… Or maybe I'm confused because she's a girl and I'm a guy and she's beautiful and we hang out all the time and neither of us dates anyone else and—" Phil looked at his mother. He knew she knew. "I'm not fooling you, am I?"

"Not at all, Phil," Barb said.

"Okay. I think I'm kind of maybe a little bit in love with her," Phil said. He covered his eyes with his hands.

"A little bit?" Barb asked.

"A lotta bit," Phil said, nodding. "She's all I think about." He groaned again.

"Oh, Phil," Barb said, grinning and teary-eyed. She sat down next to him on the couch and put her arm around his shoulders. "Your first love."

"Mom, see I knew you'd get all sappy," Phil said, removing his hands from his face and looking at his mother. "But this is serious. She doesn't know I feel this way. I mean, I _think_ she _could_ like me like that. Maybe… I really hope she does. It's so hard to tell with Keely because she loves everybody and we're together nonstop so I mean, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. But this whole kissing-on-stage thing is crazy."

"How so, Phil?" Barb said.

"I mean holding her, touching her, being close to her, _kissing_ her… it's all just acting," Phil said. "I'm _acting_ like it's not real even though it feels like it is, at least for me, and I don't know if she's acting or if she wants it to be real and then we're on stage, you know, in front of all our friends and a freaking teacher. So very confusing…"

"It seems to me that now would be the perfect time to tell her how you feel," Barb suggested.

"I started to tell her… Well, I kind of accidentally said something weird," Phil said. He cringed.

"What weird something did you say?" Barb asked.

"After we ran through the scene, with all the kissing, we were sitting there in her room and it was sort of awkward and I sort of blurted out that I never thought that's how our first kiss would be, you know, like in a play. Not real, in other words. Acting," Phil said. Barb nodded. "But, I said 'first kiss,' which infers subsequent kisses, right? And that also pretty much says I was already thinking about kissing her… you know?"

"Well, honey, what did Keely say?" Barb asked.

"Nothing. At first. Then she said something like 'Don't worry about it, Phil,' or whatever," Phil said. "And when her mom came home, like at that _exact_ moment, she practically pushed me out the door."

"Well, maybe she's a little startled by this..." Barb said. "She must have felt something, Phil. Otherwise why would she suddenly act strangely?"

"I don't know. Maybe she did feel what I felt. Girls are bizarre, Mom," Phil said, shaking his head. "And the one girl I fall for I only get to kiss while we practice a play. I couldn't, you know, go over there _now_ and kiss her."

"Why not?" Barb asked.

"Because," said Phil. "Keely happens to be my _much_-established best friend. Isn't there some kind of friend code I'd be breaking?"

"Honey, best friend or not, if you're in love with Keely, you're going to have to do something about it," Barb said. "If you don't, you'll never forgive yourself."

"Easy for you to say," Phil said. "You don't have to worry about this kind of stuff. You have _Dad_."

"Well, how do you think I got him?" Barb asked, smiling.

Phil smiled back at his mother. "Look, Mom, this is _Keely_ we're talking about," he said. "I guess I'm afraid I'll freak her out. She's kind of skittish when it comes to guys—and I'm her best friend first and foremost."

"I've seen the way she looks at you, Phil," Barb said, smoothing down her son's hair.

"Really?" Phil asked, brightening. "She looks at me?" He smiled.

"She looks at you the way you look at her," Barb said.

"Am I that obvious?" Phil asked, blushing. Barb grinned at him.

"Phil, just follow your heart. You'll know when it's the right time," Barb said. "Maybe this little kiss will give you both the push you need."

"Maybe," Phil said. But he had his doubts.

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After Phil left, Keely went back to her room, shut the door, and lay on her bed, watching the rain stream down the windows. "I never thought our first kiss would be like this," she said out loud. Then her cell phone rang. Keely checked the caller id. Via. She flipped it open.

"Hey V," Keely said.

"Are you still practicing?" Via asked.

"No, Phil left a few minutes ago," Keely said.

"Well?" Via asked.

"We did it. We kissed. Twice," Keely said. "He kissed me once, and I kissed him once."

"Oh wow, Keely," Via said. "So, um, well. Does this mean anything?"

"I don't know," Keely said. She lay back on her bed and groaned. There was a picture of Phil on her bedside table, smiling at her, orange flecks all over his shirt and in his hair. It was taken in the ninth grade, after the infamous Pickford tomato-stomping incident. The day Keely learned the Diffys' secret. "I definitely felt something, but I don't know about Phil… I mean, he did have this _look _on his face after, but I'm not sure if that was because of what we were doing or what. Maybe he was sleepy. He kind of looked sleepy."

"Hmm," Via said. "One of you is going to have to speak up, Keely. I mean I just don't see how all this guesswork will ever get you anywhere."

"Well I don't see you telling Owen how you feel," Keely said. She glanced again at the picture of Phil. She could stare at it for hours.

"I know, I know," Via said. "But it's a little different with Owen and me. We aren't close already like you guys are. It's not as… complex a situation."

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Keely said. She sighed and looked out the window.

"Why don't you just ask him out?" Via asked.

"Yeah, I guess I could," Keely said. "But what do I say? 'Phil, you want to go to the movies?' I mean we already do things like go to the movies. How would this be a date? How do establish what it actually is?"

"God, Keely, I don't know," Via said. "I'm sorry I'm not a lot of help. But, you know, maybe you could set up something kind of special… Like fill a room up with candles. Like on that episode of _Friends_."

"What?" Keely asked. "I don't know, V. I think I'm doomed to be boyfriendless forever. I wish Phil would do something…"

"I know. But you can't wait around for Phil. He's just so, I don't know…" Via said. "Phil's the type who would rather not do anything if it meant putting himself out there. He obviously values his friendship with you so much that he's afraid of wrecking it. That's what I think he's thinking…"

Keely mumbled a response to Via. She was replaying what Phil had said to her minutes before. _I never thought our first kiss would be like this. _She didn't want to tell anyone he'd said it partly because she wasn't totally sure what it meant and partly because she was afraid she'd overanalyze it and make it much bigger than it was—as if keeping it a secret made it true. Or made it truer, maybe. Maybe he was only being funny. Maybe he didn't mean anything by it. But maybe, just maybe he did mean it for real. That he'd been thinking about it. A first kiss. Suddenly Keely was aware of Via talking.

"Keely?" Via asked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry... kinda spaced out there for a sec, V," Keely said, her eyes lingering on Phil's face in the picture, her heart feeling fluttery and light. She smiled to herself as she looked at his face. "He's so cute, Via..."

"I know, Keely," Via said.

"And sweet," Keely said.

"I know," Via said.

"And..." Keely said.

"And?" Via asked.

"He gets me," Keely said.

"You're right. He gets you. In ways I'll never get you. He's your soulmate, Keely," Via said.

"But does soulmate mean boyfriend?" Keely asked. In the picture Phil's eyes looked surprised. Keely picked it up and brought it closer to her face. She looked hard into Phil's pupils. So hard she could see the camera lens reflected in them. She had been holding the camera. That was the day she learned about the real Phil. He'd trusted her with information that could have ruined his family, and she promised she'd do the same. Trust him with anything. Why couldn't she?

"I don't know, Keely," Via said. "Soulmates aren't always couples. But I think if it works out that way, it's even better."

"Yeah," Keely muttered. She wished Phil were there right then. _Why did I make him leave?_ she wondered. _He was probably so confused. And there was that weird moment when maybe he would have said something…_ "Ugh. I'm wrecking it before there's even an 'it' to wreck!"

"Come again?" Via asked.

"Sorry Via… It's just why did I make him go home? Why didn't we just have the conversation while he was here?" Keely asked.

"Because obviously you were ready to," Via said. "When you're ready, when Phil's ready, it'll happen."

"Are you sure he'll ever be ready?" Keely asked.

"Keely, I've seen how he looks at you," Via said."Plus I think he was really excited about getting to do the _Romeo and Juliet_ scene with you today… He was smiling like the cat who ate the canary after class."

"No he wasn't, Via," Keely said. _He looks at me?_ she thought.

"He was until you freaked out," Via said.

"I freaked out?" Keely said.

"Um, yeah," Via said.

"God I'm such an idiot," Keely said.

"Look, you're not an idiot. You're in love. You just need to relax and let it happen. It will, Keely. I promise. I wish I were as lucky," Via said.

"Thanks Via," Keely said. But she wasn't so sure it was going to be that easy.

That night as she lay in her bed, Keely Teslow couldn't stop thinking. There was no way she could relax and let things happen. She'd been so caught up in her real feelings for Phil that she'd nearly forgotten what she had to do Thursday: kiss Phil. Twice. On stage. How was she supposed to relax now?


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everyone. Thanks for the sweet reviews. I love you all so much. You have NO idea. Okay, anyway, had to throw in some tension and some potential, you know, "drama." Cant have these two cutie pies hooking up TOO fast, can we? sarah

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The Kiss

Chapter 4

"Coffee Talk"

Keely bounced into the Diffys' kitchen the following morning before school with her usual enthusiasm. She was determined to be normal, to act as though the day before hadn't happened. But deep down she knew this would be impossible. The sight of Phil flustered Keely more than she had anticipated. Phil was pouring himself a cup of coffee when she came in. Keely's heart flipped.

"Good morning, Phil," she sang, smiling at him. "Since when do you drink coffee?"

Phil turned toward her. Keely's face was pink and glowing. Her hair fell loose on her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and the sight of her made him lose his train of thought momentarily. "Coffee? Oh, right, yeah, um, well, I didn't sleep much last night," he said, truthfully. Phil had tossed and turned all night. His dreams were fitful and he woke up almost every hour. Each dream involved him driving a motorcycle through a different landscape. First it was mountains, then a city, then through miles of farmland. He didn't know what it was about, exactly, but it seemed to be telling him that he was just spinning his wheels, never getting anywhere. Final destination unknown. Or was his ultimate goal completely unattainable? Or just hard to find? Was he lost? "I thought it would help me stay awake today. Mom made some extra..."

"Aw, poor baby," Keely said. She rubbed his back with her fingers, scratching between his shoulder blades. Phil tensed a bit when she touched him, and raised his shoulders awkwardly. "What?" Keely asked. "I thought you liked having your back scratched."

"Oh, right, yeah, well, I do," Phil said, avoiding Keely's eyes. "You, uh, surprised me is all." He poured milk into his coffee cup.

"Okay..." Keely said. "Well then, Mr. Tensey McTenserton, can I have a cup?"

"Sure," Phil said._ As long as I can keep myself busy then I'll have less time to think. Think about her. Think about that kiss._ He reached into the cabinet and pulled out a mug for Keely. It was Barb's World's Best Mom cup. Lloyd had a matching World's Best Dad one.

"World's Best Mom," Keely read off the side of the coffee mug. "Someday, I hope..." she said, smiling sparkly at Phil. She plopped down on a kitchen stool and Phil filled up the cup. He passed her the milk and sugar and she dumped in at least three spoonfuls before swirling the mixture around and taking a sip. "Mmm, sweet," she said. Keely glanced up at Phil. He was staring at her mouth. "What?" she asked.

"Um, nothing..." he said, regaining his composure and busying himself with putting the milk carton away and wiping a spill off the counter. "So, practice this afternoon? Our scene?" They _had_ to practice. It was unavoidable. Unless they both wanted F's on the assignment.

"Right," Keely said, looking down into her coffee mug. "The scene... Well, Mom's not home until five again..."

"Okay, works for me," Phil said. "Have you memorized the lines yet?"

"Sort of... it's tough because I don't really know what they mean..." Keely said. "Except for the ones with, you know, that kissing stuff."

Phil tried to laugh. It sounded fake. "Yeah. That kissing stuff." He looked at Keely and she looked at him. There were many things to say and as Phil and Keely gazed at one another over their steaming coffee mugs, each had an inkling that the other wanted to say them... "I, um, hope it's not too"—he cleared his throat—"_weird,_ after all..."

"It isn't _too_ weird, Phil," Keely said. "I mean, it is but it isn't. Does that make any sense?"

"Um—" Phil started.

"Yeah, it is _sorta_ weird to kiss you, Phil, but at the same time it's not _that_ weird to kiss you…" Keely blurted. She felt her skin start to crawl. This conversation was a slippery slope.

"Well, Keels, what do you mean by _weird_ exactly?" Phil asked, scratching his head nervously. "Or, maybe, you can, um, try and explain _why_ it's both weird and not weird." His heart was booming.

"It's weird because we, um, you know, well, we're Phil and Keely, right? Friends forever and all," Keely said. "And then again it's _not_ weird. Because we're Phil and Keely. A _boy_ and a _girl,_ and we're friends, best ones, and we're together, just the two of us, a lot." She looked hard into Phil's face and away again, quickly, out the window. Her heart throbbed in her ears. She watched the neighbor across the street wash his car. A school bus passed. A black and white cat climbed the Diffys' oak tree. She slowly turned her head back to Phil. "You know?"

Phil's eyes met Keely's again. He was so tired. He wanted to go to her and rest his head on her shoulder and fall asleep. "Yeah, I think I know," he said. He really did. "So…"

"So…" Keely said.

"School?" Phil said.

"Right," Keely said.

Phil cleared away their coffee mugs and picked up his backpack. Somewhat timidly, he grabbed for Keely's purse, where she'd set it on the counter. She reached for it at the same time, and their fingers lightly touched. They both jerked their hands away. Keely laughed.

"Um, okay, that was weird," she said, grinning at Phil.

"Yeah," Phil said. "Sorry. I was, um, gonna hand it to you."

"Yeah, right, buddy," Keely said. "I know what you're doing… You were gonna steal it. I know you wanted my bubblegum lipgloss." Phil smiled. He did want her bubblegum lipgloss. But he wanted it from her lips.

"You're right. I'm totally busted," Phil said, rolling his eyes. "I want your lipgloss."

"Oh really?" Keely said, smiling. She reached into her bag, grabbed the stick of lipgloss, opened it, and rubbed it on her lips, giving Phil googly eyes while she did it. "This lipgloss?" she asked innocently.

Phil wanted more than the lipgloss. He wanted to _be_ the lipgloss. "_That_ lipgloss," he said. He reached out his hand and Keely dangled the pink tube over it. But as he tried to take it form her, Keely snatched her hand away.

"Oh Diffy, you're quick, but not as quick as me," Keely giggled at him. She ran around the kitchen to the opposite side of the counter. Phil crossed his arms and smirked at her.

"You might be quicker, but I'm bigger," Phil said.

"Barely, shorty," Keely said. "I was taller than you until like last month."

"So. I'm bigger now," Phil said. He ran around the side of the counter. Keely squealed and tried to get away but her purse strap hooked onto a drawer knob and pulled her back—right into Phil's chest. "Gotcha," Phil said, grinning and grabbing her wrists.

Keely laughed and squirmed. "Come on, Philly Willy…" She turned so she could face Phil. "Pretty please," she begged, poking out her lip and batting her eyelashes.

For a few seconds they just stood there, out of breath and flushed. Keely's smile faded and was replaced with a serious expression. Phil's heart boomed on. His hands still gripped her wrists tightly. He could hear her breathing. She rested her hands on his chest. "Keely?" he asked.

"Yes?" Keely asked hopefully, staring straight into his eyes. She bit her lip—that nervous habit she couldn't shake if her life depended on it.

"Can I…" Phil began. "Um. Would right now be a good time to…"

"Mmm hmm…" Keely mumbled. She tried to nod her head but her neck was stiff and she was afraid to move anyway. She shut her eyes.

"Um, to, you know…" Phil tried to say it. He rubbed his lips together. _Come on, Phil._ He tried to ask her. Tried to tell her. _Kiss you, _his mind yelled. _Kiss you!_ He couldn't. Slowly Phil lost his nerve. It drained out of him to his feet. He let go of Keely's wrists. She dropped her hands. His stared at the floor between his shoes. _I'm a complete failure,_ he thought. _Phil Diffy is a one hundred percent, grade-A idiot._

Keely was mortified. She had stood there waiting for Phil to kiss her and he hadn't. Now Phil was looking at the floor. "I guess now's _not_ the time," she whispered to him. Keely was disappointed and frustrated. She also felt angry. But was she angry with Phil or the situation? She understood he was shy, but… "We better go, Phil, it's getting late," she said, checking her watch.

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The walk to school was peppered with dumb conversation and both of them knew it.

"So, um, how was your advanced algebra test last week?" Phil asked.

"Okay. I got a B," Keely answered.

"That's great," Phil said.

"How was your essay on_ Catcher in the Rye_?" Keely asked.

"Well, I only got an A minus. I loved that book, though. Thanks for recommending it," Phil said. He shoved his hands in his pockets. They never talked like this. Never asked arbitrary "how's school going" questions. _I've got to learn to be more spontaneous,_ he thought. Suddenly Phil stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. H. G. Wells was another block away. "Do you want to get out of here?" he asked Keely.

She turned and gave him a confused expression. "Out of here? Where?" Maybe Keely was in the mood ten minutes ago, when Phil was chasing her around the kitchen, but now? She suddenly felt annoyed and resentful.

"I don't know," Phil said. "Somewhere else. I just don't want to go to school today." He took her hand, pulling her toward him. "Come on."

"I never _want_ to go to school, Phil," Keely said. She looked at their hands, then at Phil. "But we kind of have to."

"I've got the skyak," Phil said. He patted his chest pocket and smiled.

Keely looked at him and then up the street toward the school. She toyed with the thought of cutting classes and flying off to who-knows-where with Phil, the love of her life. The love of her life who didn't know how strongly she felt. The love of her life who seemed to consistently stop short of changing their relationship. _It's complicated, Keely. Give him a break. Go. See what happens,_ she thought. _But then again, why should all this be on Phil's terms? You've got a role to play here, Keely. Make him work for it. _"Phil, I can't," she said, finally. She wanted to. God she wanted to.

"Why not?" Phil asked. They still held hands.

"Because," Keely said.

"Keely, that's not a reason," Phil said.

"I don't have to have a reason, Phil," she said, jerking her hand back and hugging her school books to her chest.

"Come on, Keely. I _know_ you want to come with me…" Phil said.

"You don't _know _anything, Phil," she said. _If you did, we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation. You would have kissed me back in the kitchen._

"I don't know anything?" Phil asked.

"You don't know anything," Keely said. "Look, I've got to go. I'll be late for the Morning Report." She started walking away.

"Come on, Keely. Come with me. Please," Phil pleaded. He reached out and grabbed her elbow. "It'll be great. Promise."

"Phil, let go," Keely said.

"Fine, Keels. Whatever," Phil said huffily. He let go.

As she walked away, Keely felt tears welling in her eyes. Before she knew it, they were rolling down her cheeks. "Follow me Phil," she whispered. "Follow me and apologize. Follow me and apologize and tell me how you feel. Tell me how you feel and I'll tell you. Please, Phil, follow me." But he didn't. She listened for his footsteps. She waited for him to yell how he was sorry. How he was sorry and how he loved her. "Tell me you love me, Phil. Please."

Phil watched her walk away. He started to run after her. He wanted to but he didn't. His shoes were glued to the cement. He sat down on the curb and stared at Keely's back until she turned the corner.


	5. Chapter 5

hey everyone. it's been forever. i know. please dont hate me. school. holidays. the flu. it happens.

"The Kiss"

Chapter 5

Phil considered skipping the day entirely, even though Keely had already gone to school, but he changed his mind. It wouldn't be worth it if she weren't there to share it with him. Plus, he hadn't skipped a day of school in his life. That was Pim's territory, not his. So, after Keely was out of sight, and after he had sat there stewing for a few long minutes, Phil stood, hoisted his bookbag onto his back, and trudged the rest of the way to H. G. Wells. He had missed the Morning Report entirely. Hopefully, Owen had been available to cover the camera duties for him--otherwise he'd hear it for sure from Hackett.

On Tuesdays, Phil had first period senior English with Via. Keely had advanced algebra on the other side of the school building. Phil ran through the door just as the late bell screamed in the hall.

"Cutting it close, Phil," Via said as Phil took a seat next to her.

"Tell me about it," Phil said. He took out his notebook, but couldn't find a pen. Via handed him one. "Thanks," he said. "I was so tired this morning, it's a miracle that I remembered my underwear—"

"Too much information, Phil," Via said, holding up her hand. "That pen's Keely's, by the way, so just give it to her next period if you don't mind."

"Keely's pen?" Phil asked. He looked at it. The pen obviously belonged to Keely. Pink. Glitter. Fuzzy fluffy googly-eyed thing on the end. He sniffed it. Bubblegum.

"Um, Phil, did you just _sniff_ that pen?" Via asked.

Phil blushed. "No," he said. Via looked at him suspiciously. "Okay, yeah. I smelled it. Bubblegum. So sue me."

"Oh Phil, why don't you just get on with it?" Via asked.

"Get on with what?" Phil asked.

"KEELY. You know, I promised myself I wouldn't get involved, but I just can't help it," Via said. "Phil. Get. On. With. It. _Do_ something. Before both of you drive me crazy." Phil turned around in his desk. "Don't turn your back on me, Phil Diffy."

"Via, look, just..." Phil said, turning back to look at Via, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm trying to get on with it. Trust me. It's not as easy as that. Keely's... she's... I don't know."

Via rolled her eyes. "You don't have to explain. I know... I'm just glad that you're trying... So what happened this morning, anyway?" Via asked.

_How does she know what happened? Did Keely already tell her?_ "What do you mean?" Phil asked, absentmindedly twiddling the fluffy end of Keely's pen on his chin.

"Morning Report. It wasn't on, Phil," Via said.

"It wasn't?" Phil asked. He banged his head on his desk.

"Actually, it was on... sort of. Your sister read the announcements. No Keely though," Via said. "Is she out sick? I hope I didn't give her my mono. The doctor said I was past my contagious stage."

"No, she's not sick. We walked to school together. She should have beat me here," Phil said.

"If you walked _together,_ how could she beat you here?" Via asked.

"Long story..." Phil said. He was worried about Keely. He stood up just as Mr. Turtleneck, the English teacher, walked into the room, dressed in typical English-teacher attire: corudory, tweed, and an argyle sweater.

"Sorry I'm late, class. I hope everyone is ready to talk about last night's _Great Gatsby _reading," Mr. Turtleneck said, flipping through a worn-out paperback of the novel. Phil was still standing in the middle of the aisle with his backpack on. "Mr. Diffy? Is everything all right?"

"Um, yes sir. It's just that, well, a friend of mine... is missing," Phil said. "I need to go find her."

"If you leave this classroom, Mr. Diffy, I'll have no choice but to give you an absence for the day, and a zero for your classroom grade," Mr. Turtleneck said.

Phil thought about it. He had an A average. He could afford a zero. "That's fine, Mr. Turtleneck, I guess I'll have to take my chances."

"Very well, then Diffy," Turtleneck said. "But can I have a word with you in the hallway first?"

Phil gulped and looked back at Via. She just shook her head. "Um, sure, Mr. Turtleneck," Phil said. They walked through the door into the hall.

"Phil, you're not in any trouble," Mr. Turtleneck said, "I just wanted to tell you that I saw Keely Teslow earlier and she was terribly upset. She wouldn't confide in me, but I have a feeling that she's the one who is 'missing'? I know you two are very good friends."

"Yes sir, we are… Um we walked part of the way here this morning, sir, but she went ahead, and I didn't realize she hadn't appeared on the Morning Report until I got to your class and Via mentioned it." Phil said.

"Well, I saw Keely on her way to the Broadcast Lab," Turtleneck said. "And Phil, to be frank, she looked terrible. Keely's always so put-together… I know it's none of my business, but did you two have a falling out?"

"Um, I, don't know, exactly," Phil murmured, looking at the floor.

"It's just, I asked her if she was okay and she said something about Phil not loving her…" Turtleneck said.

"What?" Phil asked. He slapped his forehead. "She thinks I…" Phil looked at Mr. Turtleneck. "Where would she get something like that?" Mr. Turtleneck shrugged.

Phil ran down the hall. Keely wasn't in the Broadcast Lab. She wasn't in the library. She wasn't in the gym or the cafeteria. Classes were still going on… advanced algebra with Hackett. That's where she was. Phil ran to Hackett's classroom and looked through the narrow window in the door. He scanned the room. Everyone had their heads down over a paper of some kind. A test? Did Keely have a test today? Phil could have sworn it was last week. _Keely, where are you?_ She wasn't in the classroom. He scanned every desk again. No Keely.

_If only she had a Wizard. Then I could track her…_ Phil thought. _But wait. She doesn't have a Wizard, but she's got a cell phone. _Phil took his Wizard out of his backpack and after checking around the hall to be sure no one would see, he punched in Keely's cell phone number. The Wizard buzzed and lit up. A tiny screen no bigger than a postage stamp popped out of the end and started beeping. Phil held the Wizard out in front of him, following the beeping sound as it grew stronger. It reminded Phil of his dad's metal-detector searches in the backyard. The Wizard was sort of a Keely detector. The beeps led him outside the school doors, across the street, and into Pickford Park.

Phil found Keely sitting on a bench overlooking the pond. Quietly, he walked up to the bench and sat down next to her, their shoulders barely touching. Keely didn't acknowledge Phil or say anything for a few moments. She just continued gazing out over the pond. A couple ducks paddled around in the water. Far away a dog was barking. Phil sat there a minute, contemplating his actions. The air was a little chilly, so Phil took off his backpack, set it on the ground, and then put his hoody over Keely's shoulders.

"How come you brought your backpack out here?" Keely asked quietly, looking at Phil for the first time. She slid her arms into the hoody's sleeves and zipped it up, snuggling down into the baggy warmth. Keely loved wearing Phil's jackets or sweatshirts. They always smelled like Phil. She never could put her finger on what that smell was, exactly, but it was comforting, and always made her feel better. She breathed in. It was an outside smell. Fresh air. Fabric softener. Then the sweet soapy clean scent of Phil's aftershave. Phil could tell she had been crying, but her face was dry now and only slightly red.

"Well, I just left Turtleneck's English class and went looking for you," Phil said. "I guess I didn't even think about my backpack."

"How'd you know I was gone?" Keely asked.

"Via said you weren't on Morning Report…" Phil said.

"Oh, right. Morning Report," Keely said. "I completely skipped it." She shook her head and continued staring out at the water. "I've never skipped Morning Report."

"I know," Phil said. "That's why I figured you were pretty upset." Keely didn't respond. She kept watching the ducks. Phil hesitated. He wanted to explain, but he didn't know what to say. Slowly, he covered Keely's clasped hands with one of his. "Your hands are so cold, Keels," he whispered.

"It's colder out here than I thought," Keely murmured. Still watching the water, she slipped her hand inside his and squeezed. Phil smiled to himself and squeezed back lightly.

"Keely, I'm really sorry…" he said. He rubbed his thumb across the back of Keely's hand. "I just… in the kitchen…"

Keely looked at Phil. "It's okay," she said. "But thanks for saying it."

Phil looked at Keely. "So…here we are again, Phil and Keely."

"Yeah, I know," Keely said. She sighed.

"Well, um, I guess…" Phil started. "I guess we should go back inside."

"Probably," Keely said.

Phil looked at Keely's profile. She still seemed let down… As though she'd been expecting something really amazing from Phil but hadn't gotten it. Phil stood. He grabbed Keely's other hand and pulled her up with him. They faced each other, Keely wearing a puzzled expression. Phil slid their clasped hands into the hoody's front pocket and tried to smile. His heart ached, being this close to Keely. The chilly air made Keely's face rosy. He leaned toward her and kissed her cold cheek. Then he shut his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He didn't want to rush this, as long as it had taken him. He didn't want to kiss her just to make himself feel better, but he didn't _not _want to kiss her either. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled Keely into the warmest, strongest hug he could manage. He loved this girl but he didn't know how to make that love change—from the kind of love he'd always had for her to the love that made him short of breath and fidgety whenever he thought of her. "Hey, Keely," he whispered after a few long seconds of holding her tightly to his chest, "What if…?"

"Yeah?" Keely asked hopefully. She pulled away so she could see into Phil's eyes.

"Well, I was wondering, maybe, if sometime we could maybe go out together or something…" Phil said, grinning nervously. "Like to eat, you know, somewhere nice, and I'd pay for it, and we could, you know, like go watch a movie or something. I mean, I know we do stuff like that already, but maybe we could make it, you know, sort of more like a girl-and-guy thing… not just friends, kind of…" Phil smiled a wobbly smile and scratched his head. He didn't know where that had come from. He hadn't planned it. But seeing her out here sad like this was too much for Phil. He no longer cared about himself. He only wanted to make Keely smile again. At whatever cost. If he looked like a fool, so be it. He was going to make that girl happy.

"I'd love to go out, Phil… like on a date," Keely whispered, to Phil, glancing at him quickly and smiling.

"Yeah, a date, I guess that's what I meant. We'll, uh, do that," Phil said. He felt his face burning. "That's right. On a date." They stood in silence for a couple beats. "So…"

"Maybe we should go back to school?" Keely said.

"Well, yeah… But when are we gonna have this date?" Phil asked.

Keely blushed. "I don't know… this weekend?"

"Saturday night?" Phil suggested.

"Well, that's movie night," Keely said. "Which is weird now, huh?"

"How so?" Phil asked.

"Well movie night as friends isn't weird… but now…" Keely said.

"Yeah… um," Phil said. "I don't know…"

"How do you know when something is 'friends' and when it's not?" Keely asked.

"I'm not sure…" Phil said. "We'll figure it out, though, right?"

Keely smiled. She felt a little shy all of a sudden. Phil was looking at her differently somehow. She was aware of herself more now than she ever had been when Phil was around. Phil felt the same way. He was conscious of his haircut, his jeans, his t-shirt, his breath.

"Um, why don't we just go back to school like normal and you know, worry about it later?" Keely said.

"Sounds good," Phil said. He grabbed his bag and lifted it to his shoulder. Then, with one arm around Keely, the two walked back across the street to H. G. Wells.


End file.
